Mallards Split Pair with Dragons

BERLIN- Worcester Prep's men's and women's varsity basketball teams had an up-and-down day this week with the boys beating old rival Salisbury School, 43-36, on Tuesday after the girls lost to their familiar foe, 42-35, in the matinee.

Games between Worcester and Salisbury School are always emotionally charged whatever the sport or venue and this week was no different when the two schools butted heads in basketball for the first time this year. The Worcester girls fell to the Dragons in the opener of the double-header on Tuesday, 42-35, but the Mallard boys avenged the loss with a win in the nightcap by practically the same score.

In the girls' loss to Salisbury School, Worcester's force in the middle, Melanie Leiner, led the Mallards with 17, or nearly half, of her team's points. The Mallards are now 6-3 on the young season and will face Gunston on the road today and Salisbury Christian and Holly Grove next week before the holiday break.

In the nightcap, the Worcester boys edged the Dragons with a balanced attack. Christian Payne led all scorers with 14 points, while Parker McIntosh finished with a double-double including 10 points and 10 rebounds. The win improved the Mallards record to 5-3 overall. Like the girls' team, Worcester will play Gunston today and finish the first half of the season next week with games against Salisbury Christian and Holly Grove.